Who Lives in Tampa?

[Shari 6]

Hello all. My husband got offered a job in Tampa this morning and we will be moving from Birmingham. I had already looked at the breakdown of areas and since my husband will be working at the shipyard (Hillsborough Bay side) I wanted to find housing 20-30 minutes away. I have seen that the Brandon area looks nice and safe. We will probably rent an apartment the first year to get to know the area before we buy. Any of you living in Tampa have suggestions in Brandon or elsewhere (again, 20-30 minutes from shipyard) or know of any actual apartment names in Brandon? I have an apartment book and we will be going down within the next two weeks to scout it out. THANKS in advance.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

A lot of nice VJers live in the tampa area. They'll be around shortly.

[athena_ny 1]

A lot of nice VJers live in the tampa area. They'll be around shortly.

I live in Clearwater (Pinellas), and don't know any apartment names in Brandon, but it's an okay area - a little congested but not like Tampa.

What apartment book do you have?

[LaL 418]

If your going with the Brandon area - go a bit further to Valrico. Riverview is "sleepier" but also not terrible. If you want nice nice look into New Tampa. Might be a bit far for you though, again, depending.

I am guessing you are going to be working near the port authority? Interesting area - its been built up over the past few years but is not good for any kind of residential setting (too close to Ybor).

Stay the hellll away from Temple Terrace (just north of Brandon).

[russ 1]

Any of you living in Tampa have suggestions in Brandon or elsewhere (again, 20-30 minutes from shipyard) or know of any actual apartment names in Brandon? I have an apartment book and we will be going down within the next two weeks to scout it out. THANKS in advance.

I would do a one month furnished apartment the first month you are here to give yourselves some time to figure things out. You will want to look at a lot of places before making a decision.

You can get a reasonably nice apartment fairly cheap in the Tampa area - I would definitely recommend renting for a year to figure out where you want to live. There is a huge glut of condos in tampa at the moment, so you will be paying below what it would cost to buy for a while. Most of the new construction here has been luxury condos, and you can find great deals in the 1200-1500/month range.

A 30 minute commute allows you to commute from a lot of places. I used to work near Brandon. It is suburban sprawl, not sure if that is what you are looking for. Hyde Park is nice. I live in Downtown St Pete, which has a fair amount of rentals available, and is one of the few places in FL where you can walk just about everywhere. Commute to Brandon would be about 40 minutes on the Crosstown (toll road with little traffic). There is a lot more to do here (baseball, theater, boating, etc).

Anything within 20 miles on the Crosstown or I-75 will give you the commute you are looking for.

South Tampa, Riverside and Lutz have reasonable commutes as well. Are you looking to be downtown someplace, or be out in the sticks?

[LaL 418]

Just wanted to add - Brandon would have much more in way of apartments if you are looking for something quick & easy. I can't say I would ever want to do a St Pete - Port Authority commute, like ever. LOL sorry Russ. Bridges + rush hour storms = big old mess. I did the commute before and um - waves coming up over the bridge = no way, no thanks .

Hyde park is lovely but hell - traffic and tiny streets (as is south tampa) although its all very quaint.

I live in Carrollwood and its hell out here too.

Brandon area is the easiest off and on through the Crosstown (that is IF it hasnt fallen down again ). Again - if we are talking about Port Authority area.

[Shari 6]

I live in Clearwater (Pinellas), and don't know any apartment names in Brandon, but it's an okay area - a little congested but not like Tampa.

What apartment book do you have?

I have the "Apartment Finder" book.

[athena_ny 1]

If your going with the Brandon area - go a bit further to Valrico. Riverview is "sleepier" but also not terrible. If you want nice nice look into New Tampa. Might be a bit far for you though, again, depending.

I am guessing you are going to be working near the port authority? Interesting area - its been built up over the past few years but is not good for any kind of residential setting (too close to Ybor).

Stay the hellll away from Temple Terrace (just north of Brandon).

I thought it was Valrico I was thinking of! Brandon is a bit too congested for me (ugh, like most places here) but I liked the city just beyond it which I knew started with a V (You can so tell I've only been here a little over a year).

And oh God, stay far away from Temple Terrace.

[Shari 6]

I would do a one month furnished apartment the first month you are here to give yourselves some time to figure things out. You will want to look at a lot of places before making a decision.

You can get a reasonably nice apartment fairly cheap in the Tampa area - I would definitely recommend renting for a year to figure out where you want to live. There is a huge glut of condos in tampa at the moment, so you will be paying below what it would cost to buy for a while. Most of the new construction here has been luxury condos, and you can find great deals in the 1200-1500/month range.

A 30 minute commute allows you to commute from a lot of places. I used to work near Brandon. It is suburban sprawl, not sure if that is what you are looking for. Hyde Park is nice. I live in Downtown St Pete, which has a fair amount of rentals available, and is one of the few places in FL where you can walk just about everywhere. Commute to Brandon would be about 40 minutes on the Crosstown (toll road with little traffic). There is a lot more to do here (baseball, theater, boating, etc).

Anything within 20 miles on the Crosstown or I-75 will give you the commute you are looking for.

South Tampa, Riverside and Lutz have reasonable commutes as well. Are you looking to be downtown someplace, or be out in the sticks?

Thanks for all the info. Do you know of any apartments that rent furnished for a month or two? My husband will go down right away and this might work for him for a month or two. I will wait until my daughter's school semester is through middle of December.

You talked about from St. Pete you have to take the Crosstown. How much is that toll daily? And when you say it has little traffice, are you talking 8:00 and 5:00 traffic would not be bad to/from the shipyard?

We don't really know what we are looking for. I think for the first year in an apartment it really doesn't matter as long as the area is safe and nice. I know when we buy we don't want to be in the clutter, downtown, or the sticks. Kinda in between. I have heard Riverview is nice, but heard they don't have apartments for now.

[athena_ny 1]

Just wanted to add - Brandon would have much more in way of apartments if you are looking for something quick & easy. I can't say I would ever want to do a St Pete - Port Authority commute, like ever. LOL sorry Russ. Bridges + rush hour storms = big old mess. I did the commute before and um - waves coming up over the bridge = no way, no thanks .

Hyde park is lovely but hell - traffic and tiny streets (as is south tampa) although its all very quaint.

I live in Carrollwood and its hell out here too.

Brandon area is the easiest off and on through the Crosstown (that is IF it hasnt fallen down again ). Again - if we are talking about Port Authority area.

The waves sound scary but I know some days it can take me almost 30 minutes to get across the bridge from Roosevelt Blvd in Largo/P. Park/St Pete area over to Tampa on 275. When I lived in S. Pasadena (right behind Gulfport Blvd which becomes 22nd Ave S, near St Pete Beach), and not too terribly far from Downtown (though I wouldn't want to walk anywhere in Downtown St Pete, but whatever) it took me 45 minutes to get to Westshore Plaza, and that's one of the first exits off 275 after the bridge. Going all the way to the port, down near Ybor could easily take us almost an hour depending on traffic.

I'd really do something in Hillborough, if I were you, OP. Even with the Crosstown, I'm not sure being 30 miles from the workplace is worth it. The Crosstown is just in Tampa and even the times we took it, there was less traffic but didn't save *that* much time.

Edited September 17, 2007 by meow mix

[athena_ny 1]

I would do a one month furnished apartment the first month you are here to give yourselves some time to figure things out. You will want to look at a lot of places before making a decision.

You can get a reasonably nice apartment fairly cheap in the Tampa area - I would definitely recommend renting for a year to figure out where you want to live. There is a huge glut of condos in tampa at the moment, so you will be paying below what it would cost to buy for a while. Most of the new construction here has been luxury condos, and you can find great deals in the 1200-1500/month range.

A 30 minute commute allows you to commute from a lot of places. I used to work near Brandon. It is suburban sprawl, not sure if that is what you are looking for. Hyde Park is nice. I live in Downtown St Pete, which has a fair amount of rentals available, and is one of the few places in FL where you can walk just about everywhere. Commute to Brandon would be about 40 minutes on the Crosstown (toll road with little traffic). There is a lot more to do here (baseball, theater, boating, etc).

Anything within 20 miles on the Crosstown or I-75 will give you the commute you are looking for.

South Tampa, Riverside and Lutz have reasonable commutes as well. Are you looking to be downtown someplace, or be out in the sticks?

Thanks for all the info. Do you know of any apartments that rent furnished for a month or two? My husband will go down right away and this might work for him for a month or two. I will wait until my daughter's school semester is through middle of December.

You talked about from St. Pete you have to take the Crosstown. How much is that toll daily? And when you say it has little traffice, are you talking 8:00 and 5:00 traffic would not be bad to/from the shipyard?

We don't really know what we are looking for. I think for the first year in an apartment it really doesn't matter as long as the area is safe and nice. I know when we buy we don't want to be in the clutter, downtown, or the sticks. Kinda in between. I have heard Riverview is nice, but heard they don't have apartments for now.

http://www.tampa-xway.com/documents/Combin...%201%202007.pdf

That's just for the crosstown. I know going out to Lutz I had to pay almost 3 dollars in tolls on Veteran's, too - there's a LOT of toll roads and you could easily be stuck w/ multiple tolls depending on where you decide on.

[LaL 418]

Just wanted to add - Brandon would have much more in way of apartments if you are looking for something quick & easy. I can't say I would ever want to do a St Pete - Port Authority commute, like ever. LOL sorry Russ. Bridges + rush hour storms = big old mess. I did the commute before and um - waves coming up over the bridge = no way, no thanks .

Hyde park is lovely but hell - traffic and tiny streets (as is south tampa) although its all very quaint.

I live in Carrollwood and its hell out here too.

Brandon area is the easiest off and on through the Crosstown (that is IF it hasnt fallen down again ). Again - if we are talking about Port Authority area.

The waves sound scary but I know some days it can take me almost 30 minutes to get across the bridge from Roosevelt Blvd in Largo/P. Park/St Pete area over to Tampa on 275. When I lived in S. Pasadena (right behind Gulfport Blvd which becomes 22nd Ave S, near St Pete Beach), and not too terribly far from Downtown (though I wouldn't want to walk anywhere in Downtown St Pete, but whatever) it took me 45 minutes to get to Westshore Plaza, and that's one of the first exits off 275 after the bridge. Going all the way to the port, down near Ybor could easily take us almost an hour depending on traffic.

I'd really do something in Hillborough, if I were you, OP. Even with the Crosstown, I'm not sure being 30 miles from the workplace is worth it. The Crosstown is just in Tampa and even the times we took it, there was less traffic but didn't save *that* much time.

Yep - I had a 26.5 mile commute that would take an hour and 15. On a *very* good day it could take 45 minutes (not very often).

What Apartments look appealing to you Shari? Bloomingdale Ave has some nice ones. Although I would have to know the names of the ones you are interested in, in order to look at the location. I am not too sure about furnished ones.

[Shari 6]

What Apartments look appealing to you Shari? Bloomingdale Ave has some nice ones. Although I would have to know the names of the ones you are interested in, in order to look at the location. I am not too sure about furnished ones.

Here is a list:

1. Charleston Landings (Delaney Circle)

2. The Grand Rivage at Brandon Lakes (Grande Isle Drive)

3. The Park at Kensington (Watermark Drive)

4. Providence Park (Providence Road)

5. Plantation Key (Plantation Key Circle)

6. Sun Lake (Askew Drive)

7. Tuscany Villas at Brandon (Sterling Palms Court)

8. Paddock Club

9. Bristol Bay

10. Brandon Oaks

11. Valrico Station

12. Lake Kathy

Do you know of any of them?

[chri'stina 190]

I ditto what others say about Brandon being congested. I had a lot of friends who lived there and used to go down there all the time, bad traffic off of 75 and coming in from 60. Valrico was a bit calmer. And yeah coming from Clearwater or St Pete would be bad at rush hour.

My husband drives an hour+ to work. We live in Spring Hill, about 40-45miles north of Tampa. I doubt you would want that far of a commute but prices here are lower. The commute is good for 45 mins until you get on I-275 which takes you to downtown Tampa or on the Veterans Expressway(toll road) when you hit near Hillsborough Ave, both bad at rush hour.

Shari-we are actually planning on moving to Alabama next year. We want to get away from the prices here that have gone up and be near mountains. We are heading near Birmingham---Gadsden. We've been there several times already though.

Edited September 17, 2007 by stina&suj

[LaL 418]

1. Charleston Landings (Delaney Circle) - its ok-

2. The Grand Rivage at Brandon Lakes (Grande Isle Drive) - ok-

3. The Park at Kensington (Watermark Drive) ok

4. Providence Park (Providence Road) NOOOO

5. Plantation Key (Plantation Key Circle) unsure

6. Sun Lake (Askew Drive) unsure

7. Tuscany Villas at Brandon (Sterling Palms Court) NOOOOOOOOO

8. Paddock Club - ok

9. Bristol Bay - unsure

10. Brandon Oaks - noooo

11. Valrico Station - unsure

12. Lake Kathy - unsure

recommended -

off falkenburg & 301 60 & causeway converting to condos, but did not complete the transfer - so they are also renting.

crosswynde condos 813 740-0500

ETA : site with pix of Crosswynde : http://www.forrent.com/apartment-community...e/999907329.php

Edited September 17, 2007 by LaL